Table 1.
Source and resolution of different remote sensing products
| Sensor and satellite | Spatial resolution [m] | Temporal resolution [days] | Swath [km] | Operational since | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MODIS (Terra, Aqua) | 250, 500, 1000 | 1-2 | 2.330 | 1999 (Terra), 2002 (Aqua) | http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/about/design.php |
| AVHRR*** | 1100 | <1 | 2.600 | 1981 | http://noaasis.noaa.gov/ |
| VIIRS (Suomi NPP) | 750 | 1-2 | 3.000 | 2011 | http://npp.gsfc.nasa.gov/ |
| ASTER (Terra) | 15, 30, 90 | 16 | 60 | 1999 | http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ |
| ETM+ (Landsat 7) | 15, 30, 60 | 16 | 183 | 1999** | http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov |
| TM (Landsat 5) | 30, 120 | 16 | 185 | 1984* | http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov |
| Vegetation 1 (SPOT 4) | 10, 20 | 2-3 | 60 | 1998 | http://www.astrium-geo.com |
| Vegetation 2 (SPOT 5) | 5, 10, 20 | 2-3 | 60 | 2002 | http://www.astrium-geo.com |
| Spot 6 | 1.5, 6 | 2 | 60 | 2012 | http://www.astrium-geo.com |
| RapidEye satellites | 5 | 5 | 25 | 2008 | http://www.rapideye.com |
| IKONOS | 0.8, 3.2 | 3 | 11 | 1999 | https://www.digitalglobe.com |
| GeoEye-1 | 0.4, 1.7 | 3 | 15 | 2008 | https://www.digitalglobe.com |
| QuickBird | 0.6, 2.4 | 3 | 18 | 2001 | http://www.digitalglobe.com |
| Worldview 1 | 0.5 | 2 | 18 | 2007 | http://www.digitalglobe.com |
| Worldview 2 | 0.5 | 1 | 18 | 2009 | http://www.digitalglobe.com |
* The very first Landsat launch was in 1972, but is not longer in service. **due to an instrument failure all scenes after May 2003 have data gaps; ***different NOAA satellites. 1978 was a first attempt for AVHRR on a different satellite, which was improved and replaced in 1981 by the AVHRR sensor or the NOAA satellite. Additional missions are planned for 2013–2014, such as Landsat DCM (continuing the Landsat program with pixels sizes of 15, 30, and 100 m), Spot 7 (which combined with Spot 6 will provide satellite imagery at a temporal resolution of 1 day), and Worldview 3, with pixel sizes of 0.3 m and 1.2 m. LiDAR remote sensing data used in research applications are typically acquired from airborne systems, rather than from satellites as those described above. The LiDAR acquisitions specifications, such as laser pulse density and area cover, thus are flexible and depend on the objectives of the particular study. Detailed information about LiDAR data and specifications used in natural resource management are described in [122] and [123]. Aerial photos captured with drones have typically a high spatial resolution (e.g. <10 cm) and they cover small areas (~15-25 km; see [112] for an example of an inexpensive drone designed to monitor forests and biodiversity.